The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre is pleased to announce a new grant to assist B.C. Indigenous organizations in converting audio cassette tapes for preservation and access.

The B.C. Aboriginal Audio Digitization and Preservation Program will provide equipment, training and funding support for the conversion of audio materials on cassette to digital preservation formats. The program, which accepts applications twice a year, also seeks to promote enhanced and appropriate access to these recordings for communities, and where possible, the broader public.

“The B.C. Aboriginal Audio Digitization Program is an excellent example of the Learning Centre’s community digitization efforts,” says Simon Neame, Director of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. “We encourage communities throughout British Columbia to apply for the program, which will help revitalize and preserve Indigenous cultural and historical resources for generations to come.”

The program is a collaboration between the Learning Centre, the First Nations Technology Council and the UBC Museum of Anthropology, among others. It is part of the Indigitization Program, which focuses on the conservation and preservation of Aboriginal community information resources.

Eligibility

B.C. First Nations, Métis and Inuit community institutions and agencies that have the preservation of information resources as part of their mandate are eligible to apply for funding. Other Aboriginal organizations will be considered with a statement of support, such as a Band Council Resolution from local governance, indicating how the materials produced will be managed.

Access

At-risk audio materials in B.C.’s Aboriginal communities may require digitization before access protocols can be established. Although enhanced and open access to cultural materials is a primary goal of the Learning Centre, projects that seek to establish protocol-based access are encouraged to apply.

Deadline

The deadline for applications is July 15, 2013. Additional information, including funding details, application guidelines, adjudication criteria, reporting requirements and more is available at indigitization.ca.

Thank you for your question. If your Indigenous community organization has audio materials on cassette that you would like to convert to digital formats, then we encourage you to apply for the B.C. Audio Digitization and Preservation Program.

More information is at indigitization.ca, and further details will be available as of May 15. You can also contact Sarah Dupont, Program Coordinator, at sarah.dupont@ubc.ca for more information.